Shuttle News: November 2007 Archives

"Retirement of the Space Shuttle is on schedule for 2010 and critical to future Exploration plans. As we approach this date, we are hopeful that we can complete the ten remaining Space Station assembly flights, the servicing mission to the Hubble Space Telescope, and the two contingency Shuttle missions to the ISS within this timeframe. If it becomes clear that we will not complete the flight manifest by 2010, NASA will evaluate options and make adjustments consistent with not flying any flights beyond 2010. Continuing to fly the Shuttle beyond 2010 does not enhance U.S. human spaceflight capability, but rather delays the time until a new capability exists and increases the total life cycle cost to bring the new capability on line."

Editor's note: With regard to returning the shuttle and relying upon Russia for Soyuz flights to the ISS, Mike Griffin just said "I think it is unseemly in the extreme for the United States to depend on another country for access to space. I did not get us into this postion but I am trying to get us out of it."

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"The Subcommittee hearing will address issues related to the retirement of the Space Shuttle, its remaining missions, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) plans to compensate should they not fulfill all mission requirements on schedule, and other issues facing NASA when the Space Shuttle is retired."

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"And most of the honorees? They're not NASA employees. They're from Boeing and other billion-dollar contractors that aren't picking up the tab. Bryan O'Connor is a NASA spokesman. What does he say to the criticism that these events are frivolous or extravagant? "I think what I would do is ask the people who we have honored to give me an idea if they think this thing was reasonable, if they felt they were honored properly," he said. [CBS News correspondent Sharyl] Attkisson said: "I wouldn't ask the honorees, I would ask the people who pay for it: taxpayers."

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"STS-120 Commander Pam Melroy and Pilot George Zamka fired Space Shuttle Discoverys jets at 11:59 a.m. EST to begin the descent to Kennedy Space Center, Fla. Discovery touched down at Kennedy at 1:01 p.m. ending its mission to the International Space Station. Discovery arrived at the station on Oct. 25 with the seven STS-120 astronauts quickly beginning joint operations with the ISS."

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"Backdropped by a colorful Earth, the International Space Station is seen from Space Shuttle Discovery as the two spacecraft begin their relative separation. Earlier the STS-120 and Expedition 16 crews concluded 11 days of cooperative work onboard the shuttle and station. Undocking of the two spacecraft occurred at 4:32 a.m. (CST) on Nov. 5, 2007."

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Discovery undocked from the International Space Station at 5:32 a.m. today. The shuttle and station crews ended joint operations when the hatches closed at 3:03 p.m. EST Sunday. STS-120s stay at the station began Oct. 25 and featured four spacewalks to continue the on-orbit construction of the station. Discovery also carried the Harmony Node 2 module and a new crew member, Daniel Tani, to the station.

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"It was absolutely a tremendous day! The entire team was awed by the outstanding work that you performed to make EVA 4 a great success. The extended team, both on-orbit and on the ground, deserves congratulations and it is a good day to be a part of the extended NASA family."

Editor's note: I am guessing that the Mission Control folks may be a little on the young side when it comes to SNL alumni. I am not certain that putting Mr. Bill in a document called an "Execute Package" is a wise PR move ...

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"The nearly five-month strike of about 500 workers involved in space-shuttle launch operations at Kennedy Space Center ended today with ratification of a new contract, according to a news release from the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers Local 2061. The workers include machinists, electrical technicians, crane operators and people who drive the giant crawler that gets the shuttle to the launch pad."

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